


The Balance of the Heart

by aquantumkitten



Series: The Balance of the Heart [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aftermath, Baatar facing Kuvira, Bolin and Mako - Freeform, Bolin comforting Mako, F/F, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Grief, Korra Season 4: Balance, Korrasami - Freeform, Legend of Korra Aftermath, Lin meets her father, Processing, Spirit World, Suyin meets her father, Varrick and Zhu Li honeymoon, all the feels, brokenhearted Mako, complicated family relationships, me wanting to tie up loose ends in LoK
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:01:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25158937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquantumkitten/pseuds/aquantumkitten
Summary: This miniseries deals with a few of the emotional loose ends left at the end of LoK: Balance. Asami processes her feelings about her father in the Spirit World. Bolin helps a brokenhearted Mako to accept Korrasami and himself. Baatar Jr. confronts Kuvira and reconciles with his family. Lin Beifong sets out on a journey to meet her long-lost father.
Relationships: Asami Sato & Hiroshi Sato, Baatar Jr. & Suyin Beifong, Baatar Jr./Kuvira (Avatar), Bolin & Mako (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Korra & Asami Sato, Korra/Asami Sato, Lin Beifong & Suyin Beifong, Lin Beifong & Suyin Beifong & Toph Beifong, Suyin Beifong & Kuvira, Toph Beifong/Kanto, Toph Beifong/Sokka, Varrick/Zhu Li Moon
Series: The Balance of the Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1822648
Kudos: 35





	1. Fathers and Guides

**Author's Note:**

> I just finished watching all of Legend of Korra, and wow, it was a great ride! I thought there were a few interesting emotional loose ends at the conclusion of Balance, so I am writing this miniseries to tie those up and spend a little more time with all the characters I've come to love.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still grieving her father Hiroshi Sato, Asami joins Korra, Iroh, and Zuko in the Spirit World to process her complicated feelings about him over a hot cup of tea and a game of Pai-Sho.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of Season 4, Korra and Asami travel to the Spirit World together. I knew Asami was probably still grieving from her father's death, and I thought Iroh would be a great person for her to talk to--he always seems to know how to comfort people. I also had Zuko come to the party with all of the hard-earned life wisdom I'd imagine he's gathered from ATLA and beyond, and gave him the chance to process some of his issues too. There's a little Korrasami in here, but it's mostly about family relationships. Enjoy!

Asami stepped out of the spirit portal and blinked. She had never seen anything like this before—glowing-green mushrooms, big as trees, and tangled vines, and whispering grass, and ghostlike, strangely-shaped beings floating through the air. 

“Whoa. This is amazing…so you go here all the time?”

“Pretty much,” laughed Korra. “You know, bridge between worlds and all that.”

Asami wandered towards a stream and nearly tripped over a green, chubby creature scooting along on its six legs. “Watch yourself, clumsy,” the spirit said.

“Sorry,” Asami apologized, and turned to Korra. “Are spirits always this snarky?” 

Korra laughed too. “Hey Asami, while we’re here, I’d really like you to meet someone. He’s an amazing spiritual guide and lovely person, and he makes a mean cup of tea and is the best Pai-Sho player I have ever met.”

“Wow! Take me to this guy, he sounds cool.”

Korra took Asami by the hand. Asami smiled and felt her heart flutter at the pressure. She thought Korra taking her here meant something, something beyond just the friendship they had cultivated for three years as Korra recovered in the South Pole…but Asami wasn’t sure.

They skipped and ran over the bright spirit-plains. Suddenly, a heavy old man wearing green ceremonial robes with a kind face emerged from the mists.

“Hello, Avatar Korra,” he said. “And I see you’ve brought a friend with you. I’m Iroh—but you may call me Uncle if you wish. What is your name, young lady?”

“I’m Asami Sato,” said Asami, extending her hand for Iroh to shake it. “I’m the owner of Future Industries. You probably haven’t heard of the Sato-mobile, but…” she paused to think for a second. “It’s kind of like one of those Fire Nation tanks, but powered by gas instead of firebenders, and for just one person, and a whole lot smoother.”

Iroh laughed. “A lot has been going on since I left the material world, I suppose.”

“It sure has.”

“Why don’t we all sit down for a nice hot cup of tea?” asked Iroh. “My nephew, Fire Lord Zuko, has already joined us and I always like to have a party.” He walked back into the mists and Korra and Asami followed him. They emerged in a bright clearing with a table set for tea. Fire Lord Zuko sat at the table, along with three large, lumpy-shaped spirits. Zuko seemed to be making awkward small-talk with the spirits.

Zuko rose. “Korra! Such a pleasure to see you again—and your friend, too.” Korra and Asami sat down. Iroh poured each of them a cup of steaming jasmine tea.

“How did you get here, Lord Zuko?” Korra asked. 

“When we met in the desert, you told me that Iroh was in the Spirit World, so I immediately trained with the Fire Sages on spiritual matters and entered through the Northern portal to visit. Iroh is like my dad. I have always wanted to see him again.”

Asami glanced across the clearing and noticed an empty Pai-Sho board set up on a table just across from them. Pai-Sho…father. Her heart was heavy suddenly and tears came to her eyes. Iroh motioned to the lumpy spirits, and they got up and walked to a different table, leaving Iroh, Zuko, Korra, and Asami alone.

Iroh turned to Asami. “What is troubling you, little one?”

Asami wiped her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just…my father died only a few weeks ago, and he loved Pai-Sho. He taught me how to play.”

“I’m sorry, Asami,” said Korra, wrapping her arm around her. 

“It’s kind of complicated,” Asami continued. “I loved him so much, but he also betrayed me and made my life really hard for a few years. I’m still a little hurt and angry about that. Now that he’s gone, I’m just…sad.”

“I understand complicated relationships with fathers,” said Lord Zuko. “My father gave me this scar when I was barely a teenager.” He pointed at his eye, which was surrounded by a flame-shaped burn. “I wanted his approval, and I guess I loved him in a way, but I had a long journey to be able to become myself and not live in the shadow of the pain he caused me and the life he wanted for me. And when he eventually died, in prison…I was still sad, even though he had made my life miserable. It was strange. It was a new journey of acceptance. Even if Fire Lord Ozai was a cruel man, he was still my father, and I still grieved for him. I’m just glad that you had the chance to reconcile with your father before he passed.”

“He really loved me,” said Asami, barely holding back tears. “He gave his life to save me.”

“I am happy for you, then,” said Lord Zuko. “The genuine love of a parent is the most beautiful gift in life. Trust me, I would know.”

“Well said, my dear Zuko,” said Iroh. “Before you know it you may become as wise as me. I would like to add that I had a difficult relationship with my father as well. As you may know, my father was Fire Lord Azulon, a ruthless man who escalated the Hundred Years War his own father, Sozin, had started, and brought it to maturity. He wanted me to be a general, and I happily obliged and conquered many cities—but then fatherhood took its toll on me. My son Lu-Ten died in the siege of Ba Sing Se, and I couldn’t bring myself to fight a war that destroyed so many sons in the name of my father’s dreams of empire. So, I abandoned my post and dedicated my life to contemplation…and to being a father-figure to Zuko. So, Asami and Zuko, I would say that the true parent is not the one who is our parent by blood, but the one who chooses to love and accept us, who can forgive us of our wrongs, and we, of theirs. And by that token, Asami—well, I can never know what you are going through and your circumstances, but it sounds to me like your father was a true parent to you, in the end.”

Asami could barely speak, because she was in tears. Korra hugged her close, then Zuko and Iroh joined. She hugged Iroh closer, feeling comforted by the warmth of his big, friendly belly. They separated, and Asami drank down her tea in peace. 

“Remember, Asami,” said Korra, her eyes and voice soft. “If you ever need me, I will be here for you. I’m your family, now. And Iroh and Zuko, too. And Mako and Bolin back in the material world—”

“Thank you,” whispered Asami. They sat quietly for a moment that felt like an hour—it was hard to tell the passing of time in the Spirit World, and Asami liked it. In the fast-paced world of Republic City and business deals and Sato-mobiles and assembly lines, she needed time for her thoughts to clear and her mind to be at peace—time to process all of this.

“Hey,” Asami finally spoke up. “Anyone want to play a round of Pai-Sho?”

“You bet!” Korra shouted, pumping her fist in the air. Iroh smiled, and Zuko shrugged. Iroh and Asami sat across from each other.

“Remember, Asami,” said Iroh, “everything takes time. In Pai-Sho, and in life. So take all the time you need—for all of it.”

Asami smiled. “Thanks, Uncle.”


	2. Mako Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mako is heartbroken when Korra announces that she is dating Asami. His brother Bolin cheers him up with some hard-won wisdom on love and growing up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was happy for Korra and Asami when they got together at the end of LoK and opened up children's TV to LGBTQ+ relationships...but I have to admit I felt a little bad for Mako, who was clearly still in love with Korra. I knew, though, that Bolin would be by his brother's side to cheer him up in his goofy Bolin way. I wanted to give Mako emotional closure, so I wrote this scene for them. Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. --for all you MaKorra fans, I'll be writing an alternative ending fic where Mako and Korra get back together at some point, too.

Mako sat on the roof of his apartment building, gazing at the sunset over Republic City. Alone, like usual. He could see the spirit portal rising from the old city center, gold as a beam of sun, extending through the clouds and up into the sky. He hadn’t seen Korra since she went through it to the Spirit World…or Asami, either. He sighed.

He knew what Korra and Asami were doing. They had come back from the Spirit World months ago, announcing they were now a couple. Now Korra was off bringing peace to the various states of the former Earth Kingdom, Asami by her side—as her girlfriend. And it honestly hurt him. He wanted Korra to be happy, of course, but he was still miserable and angry about it, and then mad at himself for being mad, and—well, it was all too complicated. Frustrated, he stood up and blasted fire from his fist. 

“Hey Mako, you don’t look so good.” Mako heard Bolin’s voice and turned to see his brother standing against the bright orange skyline, Pabu perched lightly on his shoulder.

“I’m fine,” growled Mako.

“Can’t fool me,” said Bolin. “I am your brother, after all.”

“You’re right, Bolin. I’m not fine.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really. Well…all right, fine. It’s about Korra. Korra and Asami.”

“Ohh,” said Bolin, grinning awkwardly as the truth dawned on him. “Yeah…your two ex-girlfriends got together. That’s rough.”

“I already feel like a failure for losing Korra, and I’m not proud of how I handled things with Asami either. Now that they’re together it just…it feels like they’re both breaking up with me all over again. And it’s all my fault.”

“Hey, don’t feel so down,” said Bolin, patting Mako’s shoulder. “I know things weren’t perfect with you and Korra, but we were all so young then. We all made mistakes. Like, look at me. I tried to date Korra and it was clearly not meant to be, and then I was with Eska and…well, I think we can all agree that was a disaster. Then Ginger—wow, I was so naïve to think she liked me. And I even screwed it up with Opal—you know, the whole joining-Kuvira-thing. I was a mess, I won’t lie. But I made it up to Opal, and now we’re doing great. It just took me some time to grow up. I’m sure it’s the same for Korra. She didn’t really know what she wanted when she was younger, and you didn’t 100 percent know what you wanted either. Then you figured out you wanted to be a detective, she figured out she liked girls, and you’re both a lot better off.”

Mako sighed and continued. “But…for three years, I saw myself getting back together with Korra. I thought about her every day. I was just hoping she’d reply to my letters and we could rekindle our relationship and make this right, but…I guess I worried deep down that the real reason she never wrote back was that I had hurt her too much. This just confirmed it. She left me for Asami because I wasn’t good enough for her.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Mako! I think you’re awesome! And Korra and Asami both think you’re awesome too. I mean, we did really great back there, with the whole breaking into the mecha suit like whizzzz… and you taking it out like zzzzap…and me getting you out of there…”

“Your point?” asked Mako skeptically.

“You’ll always be a great guy and I’ll always love you no matter what. And we’re Team Avatar. We stick together and defend each other with our lives. That’s all that really matters.”

“Yeah.” Mako cracked a small smile. Bolin flashed a huge grin. Pabu chirped, jumped off Bolin’s shoulder, and curled up around Mako’s ankles.

“Don’t worry, Mako,” said Bolin, hugging his brother close to him. “One of these days, you’ll find an awesome lady who will make you really happy and this will all get better.”

“It feels impossible.”

“Come on, Mako, nothing is impossible! If you could take down a mecha suit with lightning and deal with Prince Wu on a 24/7 basis, I’m sure getting a girlfriend will be easy.”

Mako smiled again. “I hope so.” But he knew that he would heal eventually, even if it took years, even if it was as painful as the metal that Korra had bent out of her body. And then, he would be able to give Korra and Asami his best wishes. Then they could truly be Team Avatar again. 

“Thanks, Bolin,” he said.

“No problem, bro. That’s what I’m here for.”

Mako smiled and hugged Bolin back. The sun set over Republic City.


	3. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bataar Jr. visits Kuvira in prison to try to understand why she betrayed him, and slowly wins back his family's trust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was really intrigued with Bataar Jr. and Kuvira's relationship, especially after her decision to fry him rather than give up her cause. I wondered what their relationship was like with such different values and why that wasn't revealed until that crisis moment. Also, I wanted to have Bataar win back his family's trust, at least to some extent. So, here's this chapter. Enjoy!

Bataar took a deep breath. This was going to be hard, but he needed to do this. His mother Suyin squeezed his hand. “Good luck, honey. And just remember, no matter how things go, I will always love you.”

Batatar stepped into the dark prison complex and followed the guards down several twisting and turning dark hallways until they reached the special maximum security ward—pure platinum, for metalbending offenders. There she sat, at a wooden table, her hands bound with platinum handcuffs—Kuvira.

When he saw her, Bataar was flooded with conflicting emotions—love, anger, sadness. He hadn’t seen her in person since the attack on Republic City … since she had blasted the spirit weapon straight into the building where Korra and her associates were holding him. Since she had betrayed him.

“Hello, Kuvira,” he said. “You had advance notice of my visit?” He didn’t really know what else to say.

Kuvira looked up. He couldn’t quite read her expression. “Yes, I did,” she said quietly, at last. “Good to see you, Baatar.”

“How…how has it been? In prison?”

“It has been…well, dull. Maddening. But it has given me so much time to think. When I—when we—were building the Earth Empire, I never had time to think about anything other than the next step. Now…when the Avatar spared me, it forced me to re-evaluate my positions.”

“And…what has that gotten you?”

“I admit that my punishment is just. I attacked Republic City, and they defeated and imprisoned me. I would do the same to any of my own enemies—I would have even done the same to any non-Earth-Nation civilian in my empire. But…it certainly brings up the possibility that my causes were unjust.”

“Do you…do you feel sorry for what you did?”

“I am honestly not entirely sure.”

Bataar paused for a while. “You know what I’m here to talk about, Kuvira.”

“The…the last time we spoke?”

“When you tried to kill me.”

“Right.”

“Why, Kuvira? I loved you. I gave up everything to be with you and my greatest dream in life, even greater than being a renowned architect, was to marry you and spend our lives together.”

“That’s the thing, then—you were doing it for me. I was doing it for the cause.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you told me the Avatar’s ultimatum, I realized something about myself—about us. I believed that the Earth Empire was a dream we shared, what bound us together. I would have sacrificed anything for that dream—including even you—and I just assumed you would understand. But you valued your feelings for me greater than your loyalty to the Empire and would sacrifice the Empire to be with me. I loved you because you shared my ideals, but you began sharing my ideals because you loved me. That is the difference between us.”

“So you never really loved me?” Bataar felt almost ready to cry.

“I never said that. I just loved the Earth Empire more.”

“How come we never talked about this? We were engaged!”

“Yes, but you were busy designing new war machinery, and I was busy with politics, and when we were together we were focused on planning the Earth Empire. We stopped having a merely personal relationship a long time ago. It was always political.”

Bataar’s face fell and he almost dropped to the ground. His heart felt like it was breaking.

“Bataar…” Kuvira said, with the tenderness he hadn’t seen since early in their relationship. “I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you.”

“I love you. Is there—is there any chance—that you still love me—that you could change—maybe we could make this work--”

“I’m not sure.” A long pause. “Probably not.”

Bataar couldn’t take it anymore. “Goodbye, Kuvira,” he said suddenly. “I need to leave. I hope you’ll understand.”

He trudged silently out of the prison and into daylight, where his mother was waiting for him. 

“Are you okay, honey?” She put an arm around him and smiled understandingly.

“I’m not sure Kuvira ever loved me. Maybe she was just using me the whole time, to build her war machines. But…I hate to say it, but I still love her, even after all this.”

“That sounds hard, Bataar. It’s going to take a while to get better. How about we go back to Zaofu? I know the family is having a hard time accepting you…but if you just be vulnerable and be yourself like this, and show them you’re changing, they’ll forgive you in no time.”

In Zaofu, Bataar threw himself into the work of rebuilding the city and assisting the Earth Empire refugees who kept arriving. He and his father planned repairs on buildings together. They were cautious with each other, only discussing basic architectural details and never asking personal questions. His father and siblings never spoke to him at dinner. But his mother was always talking to him, looking after him, speaking up for him when Zaofu citizens gave him dark glances.

He handed out food to refugees and metal-bent temporary structures for them to live in. It brought back memories of working with Kuvira, when the two of them would stand at the front of a crowd of hungry, desperate people and pass out supplies. But this time was different. Again and again, he heard terrible stories of life in Kuvira’s re-education camps. People told him there was never enough food, they were kept in a prison complex and made to do hard work, even the children. They were kept up late into the night, deprived of sleep or food until they forced to renounced their loyalties to their temporary Earth Nation leaders—whom they felt were just as worthy and legitimate as Kuvira. Some people had lost family members to Kuvira’s campaigns. Bataar never knew any of this—or, he never looked closely into it. He trusted Kuvira. He wanted to comfort them, but they recognized him and were understandably scared.

He met an old man whose wife had been an ardent Kuvira supporter, but he opposed and was sent to a camp. Bataar sat down with him. “You know, I am in kind of a similar situation. You see, I was actually Kuvira’s fiancé—but then I was captured by the Avatar and she told me that if I ever wanted to see Kuvira again, I needed to tell her to stop an attack. So I did…and she tried to blast me with the Spirit Weapon.”

“Wow,” wheezed the old man. “That’s cold.”

“Yeah. Hold on, let me make you some tea.” Bataar grabbed a teapot and some leaves. One of the firebender refugees heated it, and Bataar grabbed some of the utensils his family had donated and served it out. They drank tea together and talked and joked.

Bataar got up finally to go home at the end of the day. He saw Opal standing off at a distance. 

“I saw you with that old man,” she said. “That was pretty nice of you. I’m not completely ready to forgive you just now, but…I’m getting closer. A lot closer.”

Bataar nodded. “Thanks, Opal. I get it. That means a lot.”


	4. The Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and Suyin search for Lin's long-lost father, Kanto. They get help from Mako, Toph, and the Spirit Vines, and Lin finally reaches something like a sense of closure about her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! We find out in Season 4 about the identity of Lin's long-lost father. The show goes into Lin's psychology and her relationship with her mother in an interesting way and I really wanted to know more and give her some closure. So...I made up a backstory for the mysterious Kanto. He's a pretty cool guy, I think. A lot of people think that Suyin was Toph and Sokka's child, and I'm going along with that theory, too. Expect a lot of family feels. Enjoy!

It was one of Lin’s rare days off, and she was visiting Suyin in Zaofu. The conversation veered over to Toph—so much had changed about their relationship with their mother, and with one another, over the years, and they wanted to discuss it all.

“I can’t believe Mom never told me who my father was,” said Lin angrily. “Perhaps it wasn’t so important to her, but it was important to me and I was always wondering.”

“I’m surprised you never asked,” said Suyin.

“Well…that’s fair. I didn’t. I guess I was focused on other things, like the police force.”

“I asked her a while ago, and she told me. You will never guess who my father was,” said Suyin.

“Who?”

“Sokka. Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe.”

“Councilman Sokka?” asked Lin incredulously.

“That’s the one.”

“I guess that explains why Mom was so friendly with him…But wasn’t he with Suki the Kyoshi warrior?”

Suyin shrugged. “It was an on-and-off relationship. I happened during one of the off phases.”

“And did you ever meet him?”

Su smiled, reminiscing. “I did, actually. During my wandering years, after Mom kicked me out, and before I meet Bataar and founded Zaofu, I actually went to visit him in the Southern Water Tribe. I had a lovely time there—we went on an ice-dodging trip, and we enjoyed a lot of local cuisine, and had some good heart-to-heart conversations with my father—but I realized that I didn’t really belong in the Southern Water tribe. I’m a metalbender at heart. So I started my own family. I understand that you don’t really have a family…so, Lin, I wonder if it would be helpful for you to finally meet your father—Kanto.”

“Don’t think I haven’t thought about it,” said Lin, glowering. “But I have no idea where to find him, or if he’s even still alive.”

“Well, maybe you can have one of your detectives go through the Republic City records, or wherever in the Earth Kingdom Toph was living?”

Lin put her hand on her chin thoughtfully. “That’s a possibility.”

Lin and Suyin journeyed together back to Republic City. When they arrived, Lin talked to Mako.

Mako heaved stacks and stacks of old papers onto his desk and searched. Normally, he wouldn’t take on this kind of job, but he’d grown fond of Lin after all their work together and their adventures with Korra, and he wanted to help her out. He sorted for hours and hours.

“So…I’ve found three men in Republic City named Kanto who are around the right age,” Mako reported. “As far as I can tell, two of them have died. One of them looks like he ran a fruit stand, another was in the United forces, and the other one worked in a factory.”

“Do you know if any of them were metalbenders?” asked Lin. “My guess would be that Mom met someone through the metalbending academy.”

“Hmm…let me request her enrollment records and look through them.”

A week later, Mako returned with answers. “There was a Kanto that was enrolled—Kanto Li. But I couldn’t find any further information on him. And none of the three Kantos in Republic City were named Li, so he has to be someone from the Earth Kingdom.”

“Request the Earth Kingdom records, then,” ordered Lin.

“Wait,” said Suyin, chiming in. “I have a better idea.”

“What’s that?” asked Lin and Mako in unison.

“You know how Mom can feel people through the swamp vines? Well, maybe we should go to the swamp and find her again, and ask her to look for Kanto for us.”

Lin rolled her eyes. “That is far-fetched on so many levels. For one, how would we even find Mom in that giant swamp? Second, would she even help us? And three, would she even be able to find Kanto? Is he even still alive?”  
“Well, we won’t know until we try,” said Suyin cheerfully.

“Fine,” growled Lin. “Let’s go. Mako, talk to the Ba Sing Se central records and see if you can find anything by the time we get back.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Lin and Suyin took the railway as close to the swamp as they could get, then traveled to the edge by Jeep and entered on foot. They didn’t want to risk upsetting the spirit vines with heavy machinery, especially after everything Kuvira had put them through just recently. Soon they were surrounded in mists, and they had to stay arm in arm to not get lost. Lin thought she heard voices—Tenzin, approaching her and wanting to talk. Her mother. Wait—that was her mother. Toph emerged from the mists.

“Hello, girls. Nice of you to come for a visit. Not that I’m not perfectly fine all by myself, but I think I can tolerate your presence for a little while.”

Lin glared, but Suyin giggled. “She hasn’t lost her edge.”

“How are you, Mom?” asked Lin.

“Fine, just fine.” She sat on a log and kicked up her feet.

“So, I’m here to ask you something,” Lin pressed. “Last time I was here, I asked about my father. You said his name was Kanto. I’ve been looking through the Republic City records and your metalbending academy records trying to find him, but no luck. I was wondering if you knew anything else about him?”

Toph sighed. “No, I don’t. I lost contact right about when you were born. But if you really, really want me to…I can try to find him through the spirit vines.”

“Please, could you do that?” begged Suyin with wide eyes.

“Maybe,” Toph said, shrugging. “All right, sure.”

She knelt down next to a large vine and placed her foot on it. A few seconds of silence passed.

“He’s dead, isn’t he?” asked Lin, disappointed.

“No, hold your horses, lily-livers, I’m still getting a read! Hang on…he’s alive…he’s living in the city of Bao Li, central Earth Kingdom.” She turned to Lin and Suyin. “Does that help?”

“Yes, thank you so much, Mom!” said Suyin, and she tried to hug Toph. Toph wasn’t having it.   
Toph turned to Lin. “Lin. I know you probably always wanted to know more about your father, and I’m sorry I didn’t provide that for you. But I hope finding Kanto gives you some kind of peace, just like finding the swamp did for me.”

Lin nodded. “Thank you, Mom.”

**

Lin and Suyin turned down the narrow alleyways of Bao Li. The place looked decent since Kuvira had come through but it bore traces of ransacking from the years of chaos after the fall of the Earth Queen. They had managed to get an address from the central town records.

Lin wasn’t sure how to feel. On one hand, she was excited to meet her father, though she wasn’t usually excited about anything. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure what she’d have to face. She was a tough woman, able to handle any criminal in Republic City—but with matters of the heart, she often lost her courage.

She knocked.

An ancient-looking man stumbled to the door and opened it for them. “Hello, ladies! I’m Kanto Li! But why are you calling on me? I don’t think I know you.”

Lin stepped forward. “Kanto…I am your daughter. Lin Beifong.”

Kanto broke into a huge smile. “Lin! I never thought I would see your face! How did you ever find me?”

“Mom did. It’s a long story.”

“Well, come in, come in! We have so much to catch up on!”

Kanto bustled about and made them tea. Lin and Suyin sat. Eventually they started talking.

“How did you meet Toph Beifong—my mother?” asked Lin.

“I attended her metalbending academy when I was young. I was a year older than she was, but she was so experienced. I grew to admire her more and more every day for her talent and strong will and unwavering faith in me—even if she could be a little harsh. Nobody ever believed in me as much as she did and I loved her for it. And Toph is such a dynamic personality, you know? Well, anyway, I graduated and joined Earth Kingdom security, and she helped Aang and Zuko with Republic City. She came back later to look after her academy, and I told her how I felt about her and we started a relationship. But…it didn’t work out. Toph needed her independence, and I wanted to be with her all the time. I tried to convince her to leave the police force and start a life together with me, but she refused. Eventually…we broke up. She wrote me a letter that she was pregnant, and I wanted so badly to meet my child, but we lost contact after that. She was so busy with the police office. I’m sure I would have been mighty proud of her if I knew what she was up to…but Toph is Toph. I figured it would be best to leave her be.”

Lin sighed. She never showed emotion—years of police training taught her that. But she was full of all kinds of unruly feelings.

“So, how about you, Lin?”

“Well…I grew up in Republic City and inherited the police force from Toph. I’ve been working there for years. It is bitter work, but I find it satisfying.”

“You sound so much like your mother. It’s remarkable. My daughter—a chief of police!”

“I hope our mother didn’t break your heart too much, Kanto,” said Suyin sympathetically.

“Oh, that’s all in the past now,” Kanto shrugged. “I did get married later. My greatest regret was that I never met my firstborn child, and now I have, so I am as happy as can be. My wife passed on, but I had two more children—a half-brother and half-sister to Lin. I would love it if you could meet them, Lin.”

“Look, it would be lovely to stay, but I have to return to my post—”

Suyin interrupted. “I think what she means is, she would love to meet them.”

Lin conceded defeat. She knew how stubborn her sister could be.

“Yes,” said Lin, and she realized she was smiling, which she never did. “I would like that.”

Kanto guided them through more windy alleyways. This was nice, Lin thought—to have a family. After so many years of being strong and making it on her own, it was nice to have someone to just talk and have tea with. Even if it was awkward. She felt like she had finally come home.


End file.
